The acoustic guitar is one of the most popular and best-sounding instruments around. It is a quite versatile instrument which you can play many beautiful songs from flamenco to pop-rock, from jazz to reggae.
There are many amazing techniques to learn and master with the acoustic guitar that will help you become a complete guitarist. It is an instrument that you can connect and feel as the sound is acoustic and natural. There are so many beautiful songs to learn and master that you can add to your repertoire to perform in concerts or events or simply to have fun at home.
With the acoustic guitar, you can either create heavenly notes for ballads or rougher sounds for rocky tunes. Each strum creates a different feeling, which is why the acoustic guitar is used in many genres. Here is a selection of beautiful tunes from different genres that can help you develop some skills and have fun at the same time.
Photograph – Ed Sheeran
Photograph is the famous acoustic folk-pop song by the successful English singer Ed Sheeran that was released back in 2014. The tune topped the charts with its beautiful lyrics about long-distance relationships and its amazing acoustic guitar melodies.
Like most of the Ed Sheeran songs, this one also features basic chords with fun-to-play yet intermediate-level arpeggio patterns. Just focus on the finger-picking pattern to play it correctly; the rest will be easy.
If you like acoustic guitar tunes but looking for easier songs to play, check out my list 50 Famous & Easy Acoustic Guitar Songs For Beginners
Nothing Else Matters – Metallica
One of the most famous songs to play on an acoustic guitar is definitely Nothing Else Matters by the thrash metal giants Metallica. The song has a slow tempo and is remembered with its fantastic intro part that almost every guitar player tries to play at some point.
The song is suitable for intermediate-level guitar players who are comfortable with fingerpicking and barre techniques.
Nothing Else Matters Guitar Tabs
Patience – Guns N’ Roses
Released in 1989, Patience is one of the beautiful ballads of the American hard rock band Guns N’ Roses.
The band is famous for its amazing ballads as well as its rocking riffs and tones. Patience is one of those acoustically brilliant songs with a great solo and riff.
The tune is great for experienced guitarists with its nice arpeggio patterns and an amazing acoustic guitar solo. To match the recording you will have to tune your guitar half-step down.
If you want to play some acoustic guitar solos with these amazing tunes, this list might just be for you Top 35 Acoustic Guitar Solos You Must Learn – Tabs Included
Hotel California – The Eagles
Released in 1976, Hotel California is one of the most famous tunes of the American rock band Eagles. It is one of the first songs to come to mind when talking about acoustic guitars. With its exciting story, beautiful lyrics, and, most importantly, great guitar riffs and solos it is a must-learn song for acoustic guitar players.
The song has a great arpeggio pattern after the fingerpicked iconic intro. There are many chords in the song, but they shouldn’t be challenging for an experienced player.
More Than Words – Extreme
The most famous hit song of Extreme, More Than Words is not in the band’s typical funk-metal but it ironically became their greatest hit. The song features an amazing acoustic melody with percussive slaps and knocking on the guitar’s top.
It is a challenging song to play with bassline walks followed by double stop and triad chords on higher strings.
Wonderwall – Oasis
Released in 1995, Wonderwall is the most famous song of the English indie rock band Oasis. The song was a colossal hit, that rocked the world thanks to its iconic acoustic guitar melody and sentimental lyrics.
You will need five chords to play the tune which have comfortable positions and are easy to change between. However, the challenge with this tune comes with the strum pattern, as it is pretty complicated.
If you want to play some acoustic tunes with a friend guitarist, check my list for acoustic guitar duos Top 30 Songs For Two Acoustic/Electric Guitars (Duet) – Tabs Included
California Dreamin’ – The Mamas & The Papas
California Dreamin’ is undoubtedly one of the best songs of all time which became a landmark of an era with its amazing acoustic guitar melodies and lyrics. It was released back in 1965 and became one of the symbols of the counterculture movement.
The song was covered by many artists from Beach Boys to John Mayer but the most famous The Mama & The Papas version is quite easy to play with open chords and a basic strum pattern.
California Dreamin’ Guitar Chords
Have You Ever Seen the Rain – CCR
Have You Ever Seen The Rain is a song by American roots rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival. It was released in 1971 and became one of their most successful songs.
The tune features a relatively challenging chord progression with 7 chords including odd chord shapes. The strum pattern consists of steady up and down strokes with different accents and mutes on the 2nd and 4th beat.
Have You Ever Seen the Rain Guitar Chords
Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd
The iconic Pink Floyd tune Wish You Were Here is a classic when it comes to beautiful acoustic guitar songs. It is an amazing tune with great acoustic solos, David Gilmour’s outstanding vocals, and the sentimental feeling the tune carries as it is written to the former member of the band Syd Barrett.
It is an intermediate-level song with a great intro riff, amazing solos, and basic chord progression. It is also a great song to play with a friend; one can play the solos while the other strums the chords.
Wish You Were Here Guitar Tabs
If you want to learn some acoustic guitar tunes with a capo, do not forget to take a look at my list 30 Famous & Easy Acoustic Guitar Songs With Capo – Tabs Included
Dust in The Wind – Kansas
One of the most famous tunes of the acoustic guitar world is Dust In The Wind by the American progressive rock band Kansas. The song’s naive and romantic lyrics with its iconic fast-picked arpeggio melodies together create an amazing tune to add to the acoustic guitar repertoire.
The song features basic chord shapes fingerpicked in a fast pattern that pushes the limits of your fingers. It is an ultimately educative and fun song to play and master.
Crazy Little Thing Called Love – Queen
Crazy Little Thing Called Love by the English rock giants Queen, was the band’s first number-one single on the US charts that gave them big popularity back in the year 1979. The song became an iconic tune of the band and is still one of the favorite songs of the fans.
This song is in the key of D and has some odd chord shapes to challenge you. It is an intermediate-level song with its chords and triplet strum pattern.
Crazy Little Thing Called Love Guitar Chords
Hurt – Johnny Cash
Released in 2002, Hurt was Johnny Cash’s last song that was released before his death. Actually, it was a Nine Inch Nails tune that was covered by Cash but the song got much more famous with Cash’s version and became one the most influential releases of all time with its melancholic tune and lyrics.
The song is remembered for Cash’s deep vocals full of grief, a simple yet impressive acoustic guitar accompany, and its fantastic video clip with passages from his life.
There are some amazing techniques and melodies for acoustic guitar in the country genre, so you might want to check out my list to add more songs to your acoustic repertoire Top 70 Famous & Easy Country Guitar Songs – Tabs Included
Redemption Song – Bob Marley
One of the best songs of the reggae king Bob Marley’s is his acoustic slow-tempo song, Redemption Song that was released back in 1980. The song summarizes Bob Marley and reggae philosophy perfectly with its amazing lyrics and great acoustic melody underneath.
The chords of the tune are relatively easy along with its traditional strum pattern. The intro melody is also pretty straightforward and extremely fun to play.
Tears in Heaven – Eric Clapton
As one of the most melancholic tunes of music history Tears In Heaven is an incredible song by the guitar virtuoso Eric Clapton. He composed the tune for his son who has lost his life in an accident when he was just a little boy. It is a beautiful acoustic song full of emotions.
It is a quite challenging tune to play with many techniques used such as legatos, double-stops, complex fingerpicking patterns.
The Sound Of Silence – Simon & Garfunkel
American folk-rock duo Simon And Garfunkel’s sentimental tune The Sound Of Silence is globally famous, thanks to its iconic melody and poetic lyrics. It is a mellow, easy listening tune with great arpeggios and chord progression.
It is an intermediate-level song that requires your fretting hand to move around the fretboard often.
The Sound Of Silence Guitar Tabs
If you want to practice fingerpicking and learn some songs with the technique, this list might just be for you Top 50 Easy, Intermediate, Advanced Fingerpicking Songs – Tabs Included
Mrs. Robinson – Simon & Garfunkel
Another Simon And Garfunkel tune, Mrs. Robinson is a lovely and iconic tune written in 1968 for the movie The Graduate. It topped the charts globally which added to the fame of the duo.
The tune features 10 chords which makes it quite challenging to play but once you memorize the progression there is nothing hard about it.
Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
Van Morrison’s iconic tune Brown Eyed Girl is one of the most popular pieces in U.S. history with its countless covers and its place in popular culture. Its simple yet beautiful melody along with its lovely lyrics made it a regular tune for parties, events, and live performances.
It is a quite easy tune to play five easy open chords, G, C, D, Em, D7. You will need a pretty classic strumming pattern with down strums on each beat.
Here Comes the Sun – The Beatles
The English legend, the pioneers of rock and pop-rock genres, The Beatles has many amazing acoustic tunes with amazing lyrics and beautiful melodies. The 1969 tune Here Comes The Sun is a great example that features the iconic acoustic guitar arpeggiated melody along with its great lyrics that show the 1960’s spirit.
It is a challenging tune to play with many different finger-picking patterns, sections, and chord shapes.
Here Comes the Sun Guitar Tabs
If you want to learn and play more pop-rock acoustic tunes, the Coldplay songs list has a lot to offer to you Top 30 Easy&Advanced Coldplay Guitar Songs – Tabs Included
Harvest Moon – Neil Young
The country-influenced, rock-tune Harvest Moon by the Canadian songwriter Neil Young shines with its outstanding acoustic guitar partitions. The accompanying lyrics are also lovely making the song a perfect addition to the acoustic guitar repertoires.
The song is relatively easy to play with little nuances making it harder yet much more interesting. The harmonics and strumming different parts of the open chords create a great-sounding melody.
Jolene – Dolly Parton
The famous country-pop tune of Dolly Parton, Jolene is one of the most covered songs in the U.S.A., Jolene was released back in 1973 and is still one of the most known country songs of all time.
You will need 4 basic chords to play the song along with a basic strum pattern. It is an easy yet amazingly fun song to play and sing along with.
A Horse With No Name – America
A Horse With No Name is the most famous song by the folk-rock band America. The tune was loved by the fans and became their most successful single.
The great thing about this song is its simplicity. All of the chords only require two fingers to play. An easy yet amazing acoustic tune to add to your collection.
A Horse With No Name Guitar Chords
If you own a classical guitar and wish to practice on it more, check out my article Top 40 Easy Classical Guitar Songs For Beginners – Tabs Included
Ain’t No Sunshine – Bill Withers
This Bill Withers classic, Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone, is one of the songs that is found in every easy guitar songs list. The simple chord progression and the slow tempo are great for beginner guitarists to learn and master.
The song is played with single bass notes followed by double stops on higher strings.
No Rain – Blind Melon
Released in 1992, No Rain is another great acoustic tune to add to your collection by the American rock band Blind Melon. The chord progression of the tune is quite easy with open chords but the challenge comes with the strum pattern that features triplets and mutes. Try to listen to the rhythm carefully to accurately replicate it.
High and Dry – Radiohead
High and Dry is one of the popular songs of the English alternative rock band Radiohead from their album The Bends. Although, the chord progression is quite easy there are some nuances such as muted strings and transitions that add spice to the melody making it more interesting but also challenging.
American Pie – Don McLean
American Pie by the American singer-songwriter Don McLean is one of the most famous acoustic tunes in America. The tune has a big role in American popular culture and is known by almost every American.
It features 8 chords and a relatively easy progression along with a basic strum pattern.
Angie – The Rolling Stones
One of the loveliest ballads of the English legends The Rolling Stones is undoubtedly Angie. The sentimental tune features a beautiful acoustic guitar melody along with great lyrics. It is not an easy song to play but sounds more than amazing with outstanding arpeggios and transitions in between.
Landslide – Fleetwood Mac
Landslide is a beautiful Fleetwood Mac song written by the vocalist Stevie Nicks. The tune features some beautiful finger-picking acoustic guitar from Linsey Buckingham. The tune’s arpeggios are relatively high tempo, and the pattern varies softly through the sections. You will need hands experienced in fingerpicking and odd chord shapes to play this one.
Ocean – John Butler
Ocean is the most famous tune of the acoustic guitar virtuoso John Butler. It is an amazing song that will challenge your hands and fingers to the fullest as it features several advanced techniques including some percussive hits to the body of the guitar. It is a lovely song to learn and play but it is not for beginners for sure.
Time In A Bottle – Jim Croce
Time In A Bottle is the hit single by singer-songwriter Jim Croce that was released back in 1973. The tune became globally famous after the unfortunate death of Jim Croce in a plane crash. The song is played through straightforward arpeggios at a fast pace.
Little Black Submarines – The Black Keys
American rock band The Black Keys’ acoustic ballad Little Black Submarines is yet another iconic acoustic rock tune to learn for acoustic guitar players. It was released in 2012 and topped the alternative rock songs charts.
The song has an arpeggiated lovely chord progression that repeats throughout the song. It is an intermediate-level tune that is utterly fun to play and sing along with.
Little Black Submarines Guitar Tabs
Stuck In The Middle With You – Stealers Wheel
Stuck In The Middle With You is a popular tune written by the Scottish band Stealers Wheel. It is the band’s highest-charting single that gave them huge fame globally.
It is an easy song to play with basic open chords and a classic strum pattern. If you like slide guitar you can also play the straightforward yet great-sounding slide guitar solo.
Stuck In The Middle With You Guitar Tabs
The Weight – The Band
The Weight is the beautiful tune written and performed by the Canadian-American group the Band that was released in 1968. The song was extremely famous and shaped American pop culture back in the years.
The song features some complex chords along with a rhythmically challenging strum pattern that can be hard to play for beginner guitarists. But it sounds truly amazing when you play it properly.
Blackbird – The Beatles
The Beatles classic, Blackbird, from 1968 has one of the most beautiful acoustic guitar melodies ever written with country and pop influences. The song was created on top of this mellow melody which is not easy to master but not extremely hard either.
You will need well-trained fingers to play the quick tempo pattern along with a comfortable fretting hand throughout the fretboard.
Who Says – John Mayer
John Mayer is well-known for his sentimental acoustic guitar melodies and tunes and Who Says is no different. It was released in 2009 as a single, in which you can easily feel the folk influences Mayer had at the time.
It is a quite fun but challenging tune to play with advanced techniques used in the fingerpicking pattern along with the complex chord shapes. You should take your time with this one if you want to play it correctly.
Wild Horses – The Rolling Stones
Released in 1971, Wild Horses is the slow-tempo song by the English rock band Rolling Stones. It is a great song to play as it features great lead guitar transitions and fills along with its amazing melody. If you have another guitar player around, it is also an ideal song to play as a duo.
Better Together – Jack Johnson
Another great acoustic rock tune to master is the 2006 song Better Together by Jack Johnson. The song is played with 10 different chords along with a traditional strum pattern. You can also play the solos that are fun to play with the slide technique.
Going to California – Led Zeppelin
Going to California is Led Zeppelin’s lesser-known but beautiful song from their fourth studio album, Led Zeppelin IV, released in 1971. The tune features a melancholy feeling with heavier guitar parts that create a contrast with the rest of the album that is full of hard-rocking riffs. It is a fantastic song with Plant’s outstanding vocals and Page’s brilliant acoustic guitar lines.
Going to California Guitar Tabs
Midnight Rider – The Allman Brothers Band
Released in 1971, the acoustic blues-rock song of the famous The Allman Brothers Band is a great song to play on an acoustic guitar for every level player. The song features only 4 chords and a basic strum pattern. You only have to be familiar with the barring technique as the song features 2 barre chords.
Shape Of My Heart – Sting
Released in 1993, Shape Of My Heart by the English singer Sting is a lovely acoustic guitar tune with its iconic guitar riff and beautiful lyrics. It is one of the most famous tunes of Sting which has many covers and appearances in popular culture such as in the movie Leon.
It is an intermediate-level tune to play with the iconic guitar riff repeating itself many times throughout the song.
Georgia – Vance Joy
The 2014 indie folk hit, Georgia by the Australian singer Vance Joy is yet another great acoustic tune to add to your repertoire. You can play the song with basic arpeggiated open chords at a moderate tempo. It is an easy song to play and master.
Give A Little Bit – Supertramp
Give a Little Bit is the international hit song of the English rock band Supertramp, released in 1977. The progressive rock tune features 10 chords and a complex strum pattern making the tune a bit complex structured. But when you learn all the parts there is nothing challenging in it.
Give A Little Bit Guitar Chords
Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door – Bob Dylan
Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door is one of the greatest songs of the Nobel prize winner, folk legend Bob Dylan. Plus, it is one of his most covered songs ever: including bands like Guns ‘n’ Roses, Eric Clapton, and many others.
It is one of the easiest tunes to learn on the playlist thanks to its easy chord progression and strum pattern.
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door Guitar Chords
Wild World – Cat Stevens
Cat Stevens or Yusuf Islam’s famous tune Wild World is yet another popular song on the repertoires of acoustic guitar players. Although it features many chords, they are all easy to play. Once you memorize the progression it is quite easy to master this song which you can play with a basic strum pattern.
Behind Blue Eyes – The Who
The Who classic, Behind Blue Eyes, has a beautiful acoustic guitar melody accompanied by lovely lyrics full of emotions. The verses of the song are played with an intermediate-level fingerpicking pattern while the chorus is strummed basically.
Life By The Drop – Stevie Ray Vaughn
The guitar virtuoso Stevie Ray Vaughn’s Life By The Drop offers amazing acoustic guitar riffs and partitions for experienced players. The tune uses chords with great fills in between sounding fantastic altogether.
Helplessly Hoping – Crosby, Stills & Nash
Helplessly Hoping is the 1969 tune of the folk band Crosby, Stills & Nash. The tune is played with a straightforward fingerpicking pattern with double stops and triad chords. It is a great-sounding folk tune to add to your repertoire.
Everlong (Acoustic Version) – Foo Fighters
The acoustic version of the 1997 Foo Fighter classic, Everlong is fantastic and fun to play tune. It features many different chords that sound great and challenge your fingers to the fullest, especially the Gsus2 chord.
Everlong (Acoustic Version) Guitar Chords
The Joker – Steve Miller Band
Another 70’s classic tune, The Joker by Steve Miller Band, is well-known for its iconic chorus that is utterly fun to play and sing along with. You can strum the chords or play the lead guitar riffs and fills. Either way, it is a fantastic tune to add to your acoustic collection.
Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You – Led Zeppelin
Released in 1969, Babe I’m Gonna Leave You is the famous Led Zeppelin tune with outstanding arpeggios, fills, and vocals. It is a challenging tune to play with quick fingerpicking patterns and finger stretches that challenge your picking hand. However, it sounds more than amazing when played properly.
Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You Guitar Tabs
Pink Moon – Nick Drake
English musician Nick Drake’s Pink Moon is an easy acoustic tune to play with a basic solo, chord progression, and strum pattern. The only challenge with the song is the tuning of the acoustic guitar which is a drop D tuning.
Conclusion
The acoustic guitar is an amazing instrument in which you can deploy many different techniques from percussive ones to legatos, from flamenco-style strumming to tapping. All of the nuances, feelings, dynamics come into play when playing an acoustic guitar which makes the sounds richer but also makes it harder to master the instrument.
These songs are all chosen from different genres with different difficulty levels for you to add to your repertoire in order to help you progress with your playing while having fun playing the most beautiful acoustic melodies of all time.
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Nice
I’ve looked at many list such as this and they all leave out one song that definitely belongs in the mix and that’s “From the Beginning” by ELP.
Hi Thomas, Thanks for pointing this out.
I will make sure to include it when I update the list again.